Multistage open heater



June 4, 1929- R. c. JONES KULTISTAGE OPEN HEATER Original Filed July 28,1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 2a ATTORNEYS June 4, 1929. R, c, 11551,715,457

MULTISTAGE OPEN HEATER Original Filed July 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYSMA/JIQMQVM 2% ATTORNEYS Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nussELL c. JONES, or nnonxvinnn,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRIsCOM- RUSSELL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MULTISTAGE OPEN HEATER.

priginal application filed July The present invention relates to a steamgenerating system and has to do particularly with the preliminaryheating of feed water on its Way to the boilers.

The auxiliary apparatus and other steam utilizing devices of a powergenerating plant invariably furnish a considerable quantity ofrelatively low pressure steam which must be utilized in the system inorder to avoid heat losses. This quantity of steam is usuallyaccommodated by passing it into heat transferring relation with theboiler feed water, thus imparting to the feed water before it enters theboiler heat which would be lost if the heating fluid were discharged towaste.

Modern steam power plant practice tends toward the use in the heating ofboiler feed water of both exhaust steam from the various apparatus ofthe plant and steam withdrawn or bled at different pressures fromvarious stagesot' the'plant turbine. According to the common prevailingpractice, each of the different sources of steam is passed independentlyinto heat exchanging relation with the boiler feed water. The boilerfeed water is passed into heat transferring relation with the respectivesources of heating steam in the order of their ascending pressures andtemperatures, that is, the feed water first receives heat 'from thesource of steam at the lowest pressure and is successively treated bythe other sources of steam at successively higher pressures. Eachoperation of transferrin heat between the heating steam and the boilerfeed water is conducted as an independent operation in a separatesurface type heat exchanger provided for the purpose.

It is an object of this invention to provide a heater for .preheatingthe boiler feed water which is adapted to receive steam from the plantturbine, or other sources, at diflerent pressures and utilize toadvantage the available heat ofsuch steam, yet which involves but asingle unitary apparatus possessing thedistinct advantages of moderateinitial cost,

' minimum space requirements,notable operatingefliciency and convenienceof operation. In steam generating systems of the: type referred to thesupply of boiler feed water 28, 1924, Serial No. 728,654. Divided andthis application filed larch 17,

1927. Serial No. 176,068.

fluids and thus effecting the heat trans r by direct contact of thefluids. The invention contemplates the provision of a plurality ofcompartments in the open heater. The heating fluids from the severalsources are admitted to the respective compartments at their respectivepressures and suitable provision is made for passing the boiler feedwater through the respective compartments in 'series relation. The fluidwhich is pumped from each compartment to the next succeeding compartmentconsists of the fluid which .Was initially admitted to the compartmentand in addition the condensate produced by the heating steam which wasadmitted to that compartment and which was condensed by reason of itscontact with the cold feed water.

It is an object of the invention to arrange the various chambers orcompartments in whiehthe heat transfer takesplace in such fashion thatthe apparatus has a marked flexibility of design, thus adapting it forincorporation into whatever space is available, and in such fashion thattransfer of fluid from one chamber to the next may be conveniently andeflectively accomplished. In carrying out'this idea, the compartmentsare mounted in vertical super-position, so that the number ofcompartments is varied by varying the height of the apparatus It is astill further object of the invention to provide a multistage openheater of the class referred to of such construction that danger ofwater from the heater backing up into the turbine or other apparatuswhere it would cause damage is effectively avoided. To this end theliquid in each of the heat transferring chambers introduced atsubstantially the pressure of the incoming heating steam. As a furtherprecaution, one em bodiment of the invention contemplates an overflowcontrol adapted to discharge water from each chamber into the next lowerchamher in case an excessive amount of liquid accumulates.

I have, by way of example, illustrated in the accompanying drawings anapparatus embodying my invention. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one embodiment of the improved heatingapparatus;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a further modification; and

F is. 3 is a fragmentary View of portions of two adjoining compartmentsillustrating a modified arrangement.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the accompany-- ing drawings, the apparatushere shown consists of three compartments C, D and E, Low pressure steamis admitted through the inlet 5 to the compartment E while feed water issupplied. to that com artment through the line 6 havingin it a oatcontrolled valve 7 operating to maintain a substantially constant liquidlevel in compartment E. A perforated distributing plate 8, having sidewalls-9 which-extend upwardly to the top of compartment E, so as toenclose a space above the plate whichis' separated from the rest of thecompartment, is provided to receive the liquid entering through the pipe6 and distributed. it within the shell. The water passing through theperforations of plate 8 falls in a continuous shower into the body ofliquid at the bottom of the shell, and in this way ample contact isafforded between the liquid and the incoming steam.

- creases the pressure on the water A vent pipe 10 opens just beneaththe bottom of the perforated plate 8 in the center of the cylindricalshowerfor the purpose of effecting the discharge of uncondensible gases.It will be noted that in this type of structure deaeration of the feedwater may readily be accomplished without heat loss and withoutproviding any special deareating apparatus. The temperature to which thewater is raised in the boiler feed heater serves to effectively expelthe injurious gases contained in the water, and'the boilerfeed as itleaves the heater is fit for use directly in the I tive 1n order toprevent fluid from blowing boilers without further deaeration.

The compartments G andD are provided with steam inlets, feed waterinlets and air vents in the same fashionas is compartment A pump 11 is(provided for withdrawing the'partially heate water from the bottom ofcompartment E and transferrin it through line 12 into compartment D. T epump into substantially the pressure of the heating steam which issupplied to chamber D. A second pump 13 jacent,, compartments.

transfer of the liquid by this method, the

withdraws water from chamber D and passes it through line 14 intochamber C. The pumps 11 and 13 are preferably mounted at the base of theheater and are operated by a small turbine or motor 15 provided for thatpurpose. \Vith this arrangement, the pump 13 which delivers water to thehighest pressure compartment C also has a higher head at its suctionside than does pump 11 which delivers to the intermediate chamber D. Itis of advantage to have the relative arrangement of pumps andcompartments such that the head at the suction side of each pump is thegreater for those pumps where the temperature of the water handled isgreater.

In the modified form of apparatus shown in Fig. 2 the transfer of liquidfrom one coinpartinent to the other is accomplished by manometer orU-tube connections between ad- To facilitate the highest pressurecompartment C is at the bottom instead of being at the top, hence thehighest pressure steam is introduced at the bottom compartment of theapparatus through line 5, and the lowest pressure steam is admitted tothe uppermost compartment E. The coldest feed water which is to beheated entersthe uppermost compartment through the line 6 where it isbrought first into contact with the lowest pressuresteam. The liquidflows from each compartment to the next lower compartment under theinfluence of gravity through the U-tubes 16 and 17. It will beunderstood that the water is heated progressively by contact first withthe coolest steam, then with higher pressure steam, and subsequentlywith still higher pressure steam just as was the case with the apparatusof Fig. 1. The heated feed water is discharged from the lowermostcompartment C. The U-tubes 16 and 17 are of such length that thedifference in pressure between the two ends of the U-tube (for instancethe diflerence in pressure between the compartments E and D for theU-tube 16) will not cause the waterin the U-tube to blowthrough thetubeI This'arrangement has its principal value in cases where arelatively small pressure difference exists between the respectivecompartments. In cases where a considerable pressure difierence betweencompartments exists, the U-tube might have to be of such'a length as tobe practically prohibithese compartments. This arrangement con trap 18occurs. I

water in chamber F to such depth that it over flows the partitionpartment, means for passing boiler feed water A partition 19 July28,1924.

spective compartments,

stitutes an overflow device which serves to discharge liquid from onecompartment into the next lower compartment in case an excess of wateraccumulates in the upper compartment. is provided in the chamber F andas long as the water level remains below the top of the partition, nodischargethrough Upon accumulation of the 19, a discharge through thetrap into the compartment G takes place. This arrangement preventsaccumulation of excess water in any compartment. The trap on the lowestpressure charges to atmosphere, The device substantially eliminatesdanger ofwater backing up in any compartment until it fills up thesteam; connections leading to the compartment with the steam issues.

While preferred embodiments, paratus have been illustrated and describedabove, certain structural changes may be made and certain variationsinthe steam ge'n crating system may beetiected. For instance, the heaterof the presentapplication accomplishes'a. considerable amount ofdeaeration of'the boiler feed water, butthe heater may of the differenttypeset deaerators at present in use. While the heating steam employe isordinarily free from impuritieasuitable provision may be made for- -sefrom the steam or water from ow pressure steam before admission to theheater if de-f sired. Other changes may be made within the" scope oftheappended claims. i

This application. iscaidivision of my copending application, Serial N0.

I claim: g: @c;;;;; L Inasteam enerating system", aheater for heatinguri'fied' boiler feedwater comprising a plum ity of compartmentsarranggd one above the other,'means for supplying e steam at difierentpressures to the said rethe steam at the lowest pressure being admittedto the lowest com y through said compartments, the

successivel I feed water in each com artmentmixlng with U-tubes 16 canbe readily madev of steam between partmen't's,

compartment dis-' steam progressively r said respective compartments,means; for passresulting danger to the apparatus from which vJseries-flow external of inyap-f on the boiler feed water to'substantially of the higher pressure o readily be employed in combinationwith any j arating oil boiler feed water successively throu the feedwater in eac "cone progressively higher pressures,

atmg-- the heating steam admitted to said eompart-v ment, said meanscomprising a plurality of pumps arranged at the each transferring liquidfrom one" compartment to the next higher compartment whereby the pumpshandling the highest temperature water have the highestheadsat'the'suction sides of the pumps.

base of the heater,

2. In a steam generating system, a heater 7' for heating urified boilerfeed water comprisin a, p urality of compartments arran e one abovethe'other, means for supplying eating steam at different pressures tothe said respective compartments, the steam at the lowest pressure beingadmitted to the lowest compartment, means for passing boiler feed watersuccessively through said the feed water in each compartment mixingwiththe heatingjsteam admltted to said compartment, said-meanscomprising 1fa plurality of pumps,eachtransierringhquid from onecompartment to'the next higher compartment whereby the pumps highesttemperaturewater havethe highest handling the comheads at the stic-tionsides oi the pump;

3. In astearn generating system,a heater Y c m a plurality 'of'compartments arranged one above the other, means for supplying heatinghigher "pressures to for heatingboiler feed" water,

lin boiler feed water successively through said, means comprisingsaidcompartments, I p v p ipes" arran edbetween the adjacentcompartments 'whic .fa're at progressively higher pressures, saidpipesincluding means therein for increasing'thepressure compartment. 4. In asteam for heating puri ed boiler feed" water; coin prisineaplurality ofcompartments arranged 'ierys r yws" i d heating steam at progressivelyhigher [pres- "if eing admitted or Pa s n one a oivethe other,' meanssteam at the lowestpressure to thej'lowestcompartment; meansi surestofsaid respective pomp'art ments thei h'sard compartments, partment"mixing with theheatmg steam"admitted to said compartment, said meanscom;

tween adjacent therein for increasing the pressure on the i i that fi thhigher pressure of the next adjacent compart-J- boiler feed water tosubstantially Ifia steam for heating urified prising a p uralit ran edone'abo've t plying heating steam the said respective compartments, thesteam at thelowest pressure being admittedto the boiler feed watercomthat f the next ad ao'ent I generating system, a "heater? geperatingsystem, aiheater of compartments are other, means for supl'; V atdifierent pressures to rising series-flow external pipes arranged hecompartments which are at and means I lowestcompartrnent, means forpassinghoiler progressively higher pressures, and means feed Watersuccessively through said comparttherein for increasing the pressure onthe ments, the feed water in each compartment boiler feed'water tosubstantially that of the 1 mixing with the heating steam admitted tohigher pressure of the next adjacent com- 5 said compartment, said meanscomprising a pertinent.

series-flow external pipe arranged between In testimony whereofI-atfixmy signature.

two'adjacent compartments which are at RUSSELLCFJONES.

